Seesaw



P. SPENCER.

SEESAW. No. 401,798; Patented Apr. 23, 1889.

WITNESSES IN VENTOR Zgwv'm I Ty a EwZera'cic Jfiencer,

y i in UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

FREDERICK SPENCER, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

SEESAW.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,798, dated April 23, 1889.

Application filed July 2'7, 1888. Serial No. 281,224- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it kn own that I, FREDERICK SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sterling, in the county of WVhit-eside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seesaws; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures or reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention is intended, mainly, for the use and amusement of small children within doors, and to secure against casual slipping of the carrying-board E upon its central base means are provided for holding the partsin the same relation. As the article requires some room for its operation and is designed, as aforesaid, for use within the house, the carrying-board E and its supporting base or pedestal are made readily detachable, whereby they can be put aside and occupy but a small space.

In the drawings, Figurel is a perspective of a structure embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line it or of Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a partial view of the upper end of the supporting-pedestal. Fig. 4C is a detail of the combined washer and bushing, within which the upwardly-projecting short posts of the pedestal are inserted and have their action. Fig. 5 is a detail of the parts composing the pedestal. I

A is the pedestal, preferably constructed with four supporting-legs,l3 The pedestal A is out from two boards, 0, each of which consists of two of the legs B. These boards are cut in the form shown in Fig. 1, and there is centrally cut in the crotch of one board a vertical gash reaching up half-way from said crotch to the crown or closed end of said board, and in the other board a like gash is cut from the crown thereof halfway down to the crotch thereof. These gashes are in width precisely the thickness of the said boards, and by placing said boards at right angles, as shown in Fig. 1, and slipping the gashed portion of each over the noirgashed center of the other each holds the other in the position shown in. Fig. 1, or with the feet 13 distributed equally around a circle. This affords a cheap and permanent construction, which can be further strengthen ed, if desired, by nailing vertical angular cleats in the angles between said legs B.

In the top of that board 0 which is not gashed at its upper end are seated short upwardly-projecting posts D D, which, when my invention is in use, are placed transversely of the carrying-board E.

E is the carrying-board or seatfor the child, and consists of a plain board of the proper length and width, provided with transverse ribs F at the ends thereof, to prevent the child from slipping off the end of said board when such end is in a declined position. Said board E is further provided with the vertical holes G G, placed in line crosswise of said board at the longitudinal center thereof, and adapted to receive the short posts D D of the pedestal A. One or more additional series of holes, G, are formed in the board E, between said central line and one end of said board, to afford in cans for shifting the supporting-point under said board toward one end thereof in case of the variance in the weight of the children who ride thereon.

To make the apparatus convenient for handling by children, the parts are made as light as possible, and to prevent the wearing and thereby getting out of true of the holes G Gr a metallic pipe-bushing, H, is driven into said holes from the under side of said board.

The bushing II is provided. with the longitudinal vertical opening J, which receives the posts D. The opening J at the base of the bushing II is of a size to loosely fit around the base of the post D, and the upper end of said opening is made larger to permit the necessary change of position of the upper end of the post D in the oscillations of the board E. The lower surface of the bushing l-I,when the latter is driven home, is in the same plane with the lower surface of the board E, and receives the wear occasioned by the oscillation of the latter. The upper ends of that board 0 which stands in line with the board E are beveled downward from each side of the other board 0, so as to permit the oscillating movement of the board E. The insertion of the posts D D into the board E transversely of the latter and a slight distance apart prevents any side oscillation or twisting of the board E when in use, and compels the latter to have its vertical oscillation always in the same vertical plane. The bushing H may have external longitudinal ribs, K, to hold it more firmly and prevent its rotation, and ther by enlarging the holes G.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

The combination of the boards 0, centrally gashed and interlocked, as shown, and provided with beveled crowns and upwardly-extending posts D D, the board E, provided with transverse ribs F and holes G G, and the bushing H, provided with opening J, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK SPENCER. Witnesses:

W. S. WARD, J NO. G. lVIANAHAN. 

